§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the accuracy of records held on the Police National Computer and its use in relation to issuing new criminal record checks; and if he will make a statement. [5118]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 19 July 2001]: We have received some representations concerning the accuracy of Police National Computer (PNC) records, most notably those raised by the Home Affairs Committee and the Information Commissioner.
We fully recognise, and share, the concerns that have been expressed about errors and omissions in some of the data, and delays in inputting data onto the PNC. We have been working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO), the Information Commissioner and other concerned parties to tackle these problems. Police forces are now working to a compliance strategy that has been drawn up by ACPO. This sets quantified performance indicators for key aspects of both quality and timeliness, including the prompt inputting of data both in the initial stages of a case and following the conclusion of trial proceedings. There are also agreed programmes to tackle backlogs.